To continue a historic season, the Cal State Northridge Matadors will need to accomplish something they've never done before: beat the Stanford Cardinal.
CSUN has lost six straight to the Cardinal ahead of tonight's Round 1 NIT matchup, and the college basketball odds have the Matadors as 6.5-point underdogs.
Our Cal State Northridge vs Stanford predictions and college basketball picks have the Cardinal taking advantage of playing on their home court on Tuesday, March 18.
Who will win Cal State Northridge vs Stanford?
It’s been a great year for the Cal State Northridge Matadors, who tied the school record for wins in a 22-10 season that landed them third in the Big West, but Stanford’s body of work shows a school that’s better equipped for this stage.
The Matadors rank just inside the Top 200 in KenPom’s strength of schedule metric, and they didn’t face a ranked team all season.
The Stanford Cardinal, ranked 82nd overall at KenPom, faced a lot of top-flight competition, and an 11-9 mark in one of college basketball’s better conferences is meaningful.
While they were blown out in three games against ranked teams, the Cardinal ended the ACC Tournament with a close 75-73 loss to #14 Louisville. The Matadors have dropped three of their last five games, and this late-season dip won’t be enough to recover tonight.
Cal State Northridge vs Stanford prediction
My best bet: Stanford -6.5 (-110 at bet365)
The battle inside will likely determine the winner. The Cal State Northridge Matadors are the NIT’s top rebounding team, pulling down better than 40 boards per contest, and owning the top rebounding margin (8.7) and offensive rebounds per game (12.9).
They will have to contend with Stanford Cardinal big man Maxime Raynaud, an All-ACC First Team selection who was a wrecking ball this year.
Raynaud led the nation in double-doubles with 23 and ranked ninth in the nation in rebounding (10.6) and 15th in scoring at 20.1 points per game.
His seven-game streak leading the team in scoring came to a halt in the loss to Louisville, when he finished with 17 points and five rebounds.
We’re also going to see if Stanford’s seventh-best scoring defense in the ACC will contain the Matadors, who are second in the Big West in scoring at 80.1 points per game, while ranking tops in field-goal shooting at 46.8% and assists at just under 17 per.
The Cardinal rank 12th in the ACC in scoring at 73 points per game, and they might also be tested by CSUN’s scoring defense, which allows 72.5 points per game. In two of their last three losses, Stanford has been held under 55 points twice.
Both teams have struggled lately — and so have the bettors backing them. Over the last 10 games, both the Matadors and Cardinal have gone 3-7-0 against the spread.
But the home-court advantage should mean something to the Cardinal, who have the third-best cover rate in front of their fans.
At 11-7-0 ATS, I like Stanford staying in its own barn and awaiting the winner of St. Bonaventure or Kent State for Round 2 action.
Cal State Northridge vs Stanford same-game parlay (SGP)
Stanford -6.5
Over 154.5 points
The most recent time these teams played was November 2023, with the Over cashing in an 88-79 Stanford win.
In the four meetings they’ve had since 2018, Stanford has won all four and the Over cleared in each.
The Matadors kept the total Under from last week but had hit the Over in their three previous contests, while Stanford has gone Over in its last two games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Cal State Northridge vs Stanford odds
Cal State Northridge vs Stanford live odds
Cal State Northridge vs Stanford opening odds
- Spread: Cal State Northridge +7 (-110) | Stanford -7 (-110)
- Moneyline: Cal State Northridge +230 | Stanford -280
- Over/Under: Over 151.5 (-110) | Under 151.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Cal State Northridge vs Stanford betting trend to know
After its loss on March 13, CSN has alternated between wins and losses over the last five contests. Find more college basketball betting trends for Cal State Northridge vs. Stanford.
How to watch Cal State Northridge vs Stanford
| Location | Maples Pavilion, Stanford, CA |
| Date | Tuesday, 3-18-2025 |
| Tip-off | 11:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
Cal State Northridge vs Stanford key injuries
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